The Lost Cow

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FRIDAY

April 23

Further Study:  

Read Ellen G. White, “Beverages,” pp. 419, 420, in Counsels on Diet and Foods; “Frequent Bathing,” p. 104, in Counsels on Health. “Those who treat the sick should move forward in their important work with strong reliance upon God for His blessing to attend the means which He has graciously provided, and to which He has in mercy called our attention as a people, such as pure air, cleanliness, healthful diet, proper periods of labor and repose, and the use of water.”—Ellen G. White, Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 303. “The priest had that morning performed the ceremony which commemorated the smiting of the rock in the wilderness. That rock was a symbol of Him who by His death would cause living streams of salvation to flow to all who are athirst. Christ’s words were the water of life. There in the presence of the assembled multitude He set Himself apart to be smitten, that the water of life might flow to the world. In smiting Christ, Satan thought to destroy the Prince of life; but from the smitten rock there flowed living water. As Jesus thus spoke to the people, their hearts thrilled with a strange awe, and many were ready to exclaim, with the woman of Samaria, ‘Give me this water, that I thirst not.’ John 4:15.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 454.

Discussion Questions:

In some parts of the world, people can walk into a grocery store and find about forty varieties of bottled water. In other parts of the world, folk have to struggle to find enough clean water to drink. What can we do to help those who don’t have enough water for life’s basic necessities? What is the water situation where you live? How can we improve the stewardship of water in our communities?      If you have access to a health professional or someone who knows about the topic of water, ask him or her to come to class and spend some time giving more details about the use and benefits of water. Ask, too, about the daily things we can do in order to derive as many health benefits as possible from the use of water.     Jesus tells us to come and drink freely of the water of life (Rev. 22:17). What does that mean? How do we do that? What requirements, if any, are placed on us in order to drink of this water?

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		I N S I D E Story
		The Lost Cow Subba Rao was worried. His cow had wandered off while grazing, and Subba couldn't find her. Like most people living in the villages near his in Andhra Pradesh, India, Subba Rao relied on his livestock for a livelihood. Now his cow was missing. Subba asked his neighbors if they had seen his cow, but no one had. Subba asked people in the neighboring villages if they had seen his cow, but again no one had seen her. Subba grew more concerned, for the cow was his most valuable possession, and she was about to have a calf. Subba offered gifts to the idols in his home and prayed that his cow would find her way home. But days passed, and the cow did not return. When three weeks had passed with no word about the cow's whereabouts, his friends encouraged him to forget about her. Surely she was dead by now. Then someone suggested that Subba Rao ask the Adventist pastor who lived in the village to pray for his cow. Subba saw no harm in trying, so he went to see the pastor and asked, somewhat reluctantly, whether he would pray for Subba's lost cow. The pastor agreed. He called together several church members to meet and pray together for Subba's missing cow. Subba watched and listened to the believers' prayers. The pastor and church members urged Subba to believe in Jesus, the true and living God, the only God who could hear and answer his prayers. Subba nodded thoughtfully. Three days later Subba's cow returned home. The next day the cow delivered a healthy calf. Subba Rao and his family rejoiced over the lost cow. He told the pastor and the church members of their answered prayers. The pastor invited Subba and his family to come to church and worship God, who had heard and answered Subba's prayers. Subba accepted, and today he and his family worship in the Adventist church regularly. The family is learning more about the God who cares for them and even cares for their cow. Soon Subba and other members of his family will be baptized into God's family. After all, if Jesus cares about their missing cow, how much more does He care about them? Our mission offerings help plant churches in villages throughout India and around the world. SUBBA RAO shares his faith in his home village of India.
		Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. email:   info@adventistmission.org  website:  www.adventistmission.org